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Steve Schmidt: Sarah Palin has trouble with truth

John McCain’s top campaign strategist said in an interview Sunday that Sarah Palin was dishonest as the GOP’s vice-presidential nominee and that her untruths have done long-term damage to her public image.

“There were numerous instances that she said things that were — that were not accurate that ultimately, the campaign had to deal with,” said Steve Schmidt in an interview broadcast on CBS’s “60 Minutes.” “And that opened the door to criticism that she was being untruthful and inaccurate. And I think that is something that continues to this day.”

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POLITICO 44

Schmidt cited an ethics report on the then-Alaska governor from her home state on an investigation into whether she had improperly used her government position.

“She went out and said, you know, ‘This report completely exonerates me,’” Schmidt said. “And in fact, it — it didn’t. You know it’s the equivalent of saying down is up and up is down. It was provably, demonstrably untrue.”

While the GOP strategist has previously criticized Palin, he has never before leveled such a sharp critique of her integrity — and certainly not on a national television.

Schmidt’s withering depiction of Palin was aired in a “60 Minutes” segment devoted to the release of a long-anticipated book on the epic 2008 campaign, “Game Change.”

The book’s authors, journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, also appeared on the show and recounted the days leading up to Palin’s shocking selection.

With Democrat-turned-Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman seen as untenable for the conservative Republican base, McCain’s aides were desperate for a similarly outside-the-box pick.

So, recalling McCain’s urgent need to shake up a race he appeared likely to lose, Halperin said the Arizona senator wound up with a last-minute selection of a “virtual stranger.”

Her debut speech at the GOP’s convention won wide acclaim, but immediately afterward it was clear to McCain’s aides that she had significant deficiencies.

Heilemann said that even after crash-course tutorials by campaign aides following the convention, Palin was still woefully uninformed about basic policy issues.

“[S]he still didn’t really understand why there was a North Korea and a South Korea,” Heilemann told the program’s Anderson Cooper. “She was still regularly saying that Saddam Hussein had been behind 9/11.”

Schmidt said Palin was ignorant about many matters of national security policy, but allowed that any of the vice-presidential candidates tapped would have needed tutoring on such issues.

But he said she hurt herself in the now-infamous interview with CBS’s Katie Couric by not adequately preparing and letting herself be distracted by what the authors describe as an obsession about her political standing in Alaska.

Even on the morning of the Couric interview, Schmidt said Palin was focused on a candidate questionnaire from the small newspaper that circulates in her Wasilla hometown.

Schmidt declined to say whether he would again urge McCain to tap Palin but said that she ended up helping more than hurting.

“I believe, had she not been on the ticket, our margin of defeat would’ve been greater than it would’ve been otherwise,” he said.

A Palin spokesperson declined to comment on the new book, instead touting the former governor’s own insider campaign account, “Going Rogue.”

CBS is corrupt. They called it a "revelation" that governor Palin had called Joe Biden, O'Biden. If CBS had read her book they would have known she wrote about it. How is Steve Schmidt calling Sarah stupid the lead story in this book ( he has been on this campaign for months), not Harry Reid's racists statements. Sarah WAS exonerated in "troopergate"

I don't know about Palin's truthfulness, but Steve Schmidt's continuing need to badmouth her makes me wonder about his veracity. Let it go, Steve, you lost the race and it wasn't only because of Palin. There was reportedly enough blame to go around, including yours.

I went to one of Sarah Palins book signings. She signed my book S-A-R-A-H P-A... and then quit.

But seriously, this isnt surprising. Palin was never and will never be a serious contender. She just isnt intelligent enough. Sad to say.,

While this man DOES have a book to sell, you cant hear so many negative things about Palin from every side of the political spectrum without at least one or two things being true. Plus, hearsay aside, it is clear to anyone who watches her speeches, debates, etc. that she isnt of the intellectual caliber to hold office. This person had a journalism degree but could not name even one publication that she reads. This was a HUGE red flag.

She ditched the governors office, so why wouldnt she ditch any other office? She isnt reliable.

SARAH PALIN IS A STINKIN QUITTER WHO DOES NOTHING ELSE BUT LIE ON TWITTER HER FOLKSY PERSONA IS ALL AN ACT SHE IS AN EVIL WITCH, AS A MATTER OF FACT SHE IS AS PHONY AS, A TWO DOLLAR BILL HER LITTLE BEADY EYES JUST MAKE ME ILL DONT BE FOOLED BY THE SMILE AND WINKS SHE IS AS ARTICULATE AS, A KITCHEN SINK SHE CANNOT READ, WRITE OR SPEAK HER CREDIBILITY IS EXTREMELY WEAK SHE BEGS HER FRIENDS, TO WATCH GLENN BECK A GOOD INDICATION HER MIND IS WRECKED A DISGRACE TO WOMEN, ACROSS THE NATION LETS SEND THIS B**** ON A LOOOOONG VACATION! LIKE THE GOP, SHE LOVES TO LIE AND SMEAR SHE GETS OFF ON SPREADING, PANIC AND FEAR AVOID HER LIKE THE PLAQUE, SHE’S A NASTY INFECTION SHE’S ONE GOOD REASON, MCCAIN LOST THE ELECTION

SARAH PALIN – redefining the word "Ignorance" with every breath she takes....

It's pretty funny that Schmidt is taking pot shots a Palin to make him look good! Grow up Schmidt! ! You're just another establishment RINO! ! If you think taking someone down to justify your exsistance is the way to go, YOU'RE LOST! ! Get a life! You're look'n for another campaign to run and you are using the blame game to do it! ! Man up! ! Geesh! !

It's pretty funny that Schmidt is taking pot shots a Palin to make him look good! Grow up Schmidt! ! You're just another establishment RINO! ! If you think taking someone down to justify your exsistance is the way to go, YOU'RE LOST! ! Get a life! You're look'n for another campaign to run and you are using the blame game to do it! ! Man up! ! Geesh! !

SARAH PALIN IS A STINKIN QUITTER WHO DOES NOTHING ELSE BUT LIE ON TWITTER HER FOLKSY PERSONA IS ALL AN ACT SHE IS AN EVIL WITCH, AS A MATTER OF FACT SHE IS AS PHONY AS, A TWO DOLLAR BILL HER LITTLE BEADY EYES JUST MAKE ME ILL DONT BE FOOLED BY THE SMILE AND WINKS SHE IS AS ARTICULATE AS, A KITCHEN SINK SHE CANNOT READ, WRITE OR SPEAK HER CREDIBILITY IS EXTREMELY WEAK SHE BEGS HER FRIENDS, TO WATCH GLENN BECK A GOOD INDICATION HER MIND IS WRECKED A DISGRACE TO WOMEN, ACROSS THE NATION LETS SEND THIS B**** ON A LOOOOONG VACATION! LIKE THE GOP, SHE LOVES TO LIE AND SMEAR SHE GETS OFF ON SPREADING, PANIC AND FEAR AVOID HER LIKE THE PLAQUE, SHE’S A NASTY INFECTION SHE’S ONE GOOD REASON, MCCAIN LOST THE ELECTION

SARAH PALIN – redefining the word "Ignorance" with every breath she takes....

At the end of the day, it was PALINS own fault that she lost. She insisted on going rogue and in doing so allowed the American people to see how utterly unintelligent she is. She did not follow advice from actual smart people and in doing so fumbled any chances that she had at winning.

HOWEVER: I do hope that she runs in 2012 because she will lose quite handily.

Why the hell do they care about Palin or McCain at this point anyway?! This 60 minute story was totally designed to take the focus away from the problems obama is having right now. The election was over a year ago and they're still concerned about this crap? I think they're protecting obama as usual.

I don't know about Palin's truthfulness, but Steve Schmidt's continuing need to badmouth her makes me wonder about his veracity. Let it go, Steve, you lost the race and it wasn't only because of Palin. There was reportedly enough blame to go around, including yours.

By publicly fighting with Palin this guy is making her look bad, the Republican party look bad, and himself look the worst of all. If he can’t see how destructive having a public fight with Palin is it’s no wonder McCain lost. I can not imagine anyone hiring him now.

John McCain’s top campaign strategist said in an interview Sunday that Sarah Palin was dishonest as the GOP’s vice-presidential nominee and that her untruths have done long-term damage to her public image.

Like this is a big surprise. $$$arah has been caught in lie after lie after lie...

Really? Wow. The whole world knew Palin was a liar within 1 day of her being named as McCain's running mate. Not only is Palin a liar, she is a toxic narcissist with grandiose delusions. For this nitwit to actually believe that she could be POTUS says it all. What is truly amazing and scary is how any Americans could support Palin with her gross displays of incompetence and stupidity. That speaks to the low IQ level and lack of judgment of her supporters.